MCCSC to pay superintendent Jeff Hauswald $229K for separation

The MCCSC school board will pay outgoing superintendent Jeff Hauswald nearly $229,000 to leave two years before his contract expires, according to the parties' separation agreement.

Meanwhile, Monroe County Community Schools Corp. stakeholders said they are “glad” and “relieved” the superintendent will leave at the end of this school year and said they expect the board to pick a successor who values transparency and input from the community.

After a special meeting last week, the board and Hauswald issued a joint statement to inform the community they had agreed for the superintendent to leave the school corporation after the current school year.

According to the separation agreement, Hauswald will receive $228,926.31 after he leaves this summer. The agreement calls for Hauswald to receive half of the money within 30 days of July 1 and the second half within 30 days of Jan. 1, 2025.

While some social media posts have suggested the board could have saved the school corporation some money if it had agreed to the separation before Jan. 1, MCCSC board President April Hennessey said the timing of the agreement had no bearing on the buyout amount.

State law requires a school board to inform the superintendent before Jan. 1 if the board plans to not renew the contract after the current school year. However, as the board and Hauswald mutually agreed to separate, the Jan. 1 deadline and the renewal mechanism made no difference to the buyout amount.

Danger, mistrust, fear: Local schools' switch to electric buses is causing fissures

The joint statement from the school board and Hauswald did not provide a reason for the separation, and Hennessey said she could not comment because it was a personnel matter.

The separation agreement reads that the parties agreed to cancel the contract, “for sound business reasons and in the best interest of MCCSC and (Hauswald.)"

The agreement also states neither the district nor Hauswald “anticipate there will be any disputes between them or legal claims arising out of the mutual cancellation of the contract but nevertheless desire to ensure an amicable parting.”

The relationship between Hauswald, board members, teachers, students and parents has, in the last year, been anything but amicable.

For example, a plan the superintendent proposed to align schedules of all high schools prompted protests on the courthouse lawn on Oct. 23. Protesters said they felt the schedule alignment was being foisted upon them without a good explanation and without sufficient data to support the stated rationale to achieve greater equity.

In a tense school board meeting on the following day, the board, in a 4-3 vote, wrested the authority to align the schedules from Hauswald. It was a rare moment of disharmony among board members and the superintendent, as the board frequently votes in unison in favor of Hauswald's proposals and recommendations.

While Hauswald said at the meeting that discussions about the schedule alignment began in March 2023, internal documents shared with The Herald-Times show the talks began in early 2022 — though Hauswald said those earlier exchanges were “preliminary.” The revelations reinforced stakeholders' concerns about secrecy under Hauswald's leadership.

Parent: Super's early departure 'best for the community'

MCCSC stakeholders who had opposed the schedule alignment said last week they welcomed the board’s unanimous decision to part ways with the superintendent this summer.

“I was kind of relieved that I wouldn’t have to have him as a superintendent going into my senior year,” said Jake Cocalis, a junior at Bloomington High School South.

Beyond the alignment proposal itself, Cocalis criticized Hauswald’s top-down leadership approach and the “lack of transparency” regarding the origins of the schedule alignment.

Jael Davis, also a junior at South, had similar concerns.

“During the schedule change uprise, we saw a lot of bad decision making and overall no transparency,” she said via text message.

“While he may have good intentions, it's essential to recognize that politicians, including Hauswald, can sometimes prioritize certain interests or make decisions that may not align perfectly with transparency or public perception,” Davis said.

MCCSC parent Deborah Sauer said she was “extremely glad” to learn of the buyout.

“I think that this is best for the community,” she said via email.

Paul Farmer, head of the teachers union, said he wished Hauswald “all the best” and pointed to some significant progress the district made under his leadership, including increasing starting teacher pay from $40,000 to $57,750, thanks to a public referendum approved by more than two-thirds of voters.

MCCSC stakeholders want successor who is 'open and honest'

Hennessey, the school board president, said she could not yet provide information about the search for a successor as the board had not held formal discussions on the matter. She said she expects more information to be released during the board’s March meeting.

Farmer said the union would be happy to provide input in the search. He said for change to happen successfully, school administrators must communicate openly with teachers and seek community input.

“I hope as we continue to move down this road that the board and the new superintendent keep those channels open and involve all stakeholders as much as possible,” Farmer said.

Cocalis agreed, saying the new superintendent must be fully transparent and communicate with all stakeholders, including teachers, parents and students.

Davis said the community wants “someone who we can trust, that’s open and honest.”

“For me, the ideal superintendent embodies qualities such as transparency, ethical conduct, collaboration and accountability,” she said. “Overall, these qualities are essential for effective leadership and positive outcomes in our school district.”

Sauer warned the search for a successor is on a very tight timeline.

“I hope that the next search … will be done more carefully,” she said, “and (take) into account the needs of the community, which includes the teachers who have so much of value to add to all of the discussions that we’ve been having.”

The school board is scheduled to meet next at 6 p.m. March 26.

Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: MCCSC to pay Hauswald $229K for separation; stakeholders react